Sifter



April 1941- J. w. BENEDICT 2,236,934

SIFTER Filed June 6 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor 42- I 45 By A i omeys April 1, 1941. BENEDICT 2,236,934

SIFTER Filed June 6, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 5' l L 42, j 45 Inventor \fahz iwierzedz'cf,

By 61% 19m A tiomeys Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNITED starts m re orrie-E John W. Benedict, Battle Creek, Mich.

ApplicationJune 6, 1939, Serial No. 277,697

1 Claim.

This invention appertains to new and useful improvements in sifters and more particularly to a sifter which has as its principal object to separate light substances from the more heavier desirable substances, as in the separation of refuse from flour.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a sifter which in operation offers a more efficient apparatus for sifting flour and causing an incident removal of all lighter offal matters.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a sifter including an inclined sieve and means for rotating the sieve on a plane extending through an intermediate portion of the sieve.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following specification:

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevational view of the sifter.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the upper portion of the chute.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the lower portion of the chute.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the upper portion of the chute.

Figure 7 is a sectional view on line 'l-l of Figure 4. I

Figure 8 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view on line 88 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 represents the ceiling or other elevated structure for supporting the sifter, the latter including the chute generally referred to by numeral 6. This chute consists in the construction of the bottom wall 1, the side walls 88 and the two swingable top closures 9 and Ill between which is located the fixed top section II, above which rises the externally threaded formation I2. Through this formation I2 is journaled the vertical shaft I3 which atits top is equipped with the nut I4 disposed against the bearing plate I5 and between this plate I5 and the formation I 2'arethe ball bearing elements I6.

A cap I1 is disposed over the aforedescribed bearing construction and internally threaded to engage over the formation I2. (See Fig. 2).

The lower end portion of the shaft I3 is journaled through the bottom I and downwardly through the bottom portion I8 of the depending frame I9. The bottom I8 of the frame l9 has the depending externally threaded formation 20 through which the lower portion of the shaft I3 is journaled and this shaft I3 at its lower end is threaded to accommodate the bearing plate 2I between which and the formation 20 are the ball bearings 22. An internally threaded cap 23 is threadedly disposed over the said formation 20.

Within the frame I9 and on the shaft I3 is the pulley 24. This pulley 24 is keyed to the shaft I3 and has the belt 25 trained around the same.

A bracket structure 26 secured to one side 8 of the chute 6 supports the pulleys 2I-2'I over which the two vertical flanks of the belt 25 are trained. The belt extends upwardly and over the pulley 29 on the armature shaft 29 of the motor 30 which is supported by the hanger or other means 3I on the ceiling 5.

Four flexible reeds 32 depend from the ceiling 5 at each end of the chute 6, the lower ends of these reeds being secured by suitable clamp means or the like 33 to the sides 8 of the chute 'l.

The shaft I3 has the disk 34 secured thereto above the sieve 35 and has a weight member 36 at a point on its periphery.

The chute 6 is inclined at about a 10 slant as is the sieve 35, the upper end of the sieve 35 being secured to the attaching flange 31 at the upper end of the chute while the lower end of the sieve is secured to the laterally disposed flange 33 projecting laterally from the vertical wall in the chute 6.

Between the wall I 9 and the end wall 40 of thechute is the inclined partition M which catches material which does not go through the sieve 35, and directs the same downwardly on the bottom 1 of the chute and towards the discharge spout 42 for offal matters.

The vertical wall 39 has the opening 43 therein so that sifted flour can pass into the compartment 44 and from there down the other discharge chute 55.

The upper end of the chute 6 has the inlet spout 46 and in the upper end of the chute 6 and beneath the spout 46 is the breaker .or spreader plate 4'! disposed in inclined position.

In the operation of the sifter, the material to be sifted is delivered through the inlet spout 46 and onto the spreader plate 41 from where it is spread onto the upper end of the, sieve 35, which is preferably of multiple ply.

With the motor 30 in operation, driving the fly wheel 34, a circular motion is imparted to the entire chute assembly 6. This circular motion of the chute is caused by the centrifugal efiect of the oif-balanced fly wheel 34. The eccentric weight 36 has the tendency to pull radially with respect tothe shaft l3, and due to the flexibility of the reeds 32 this tendency is subscribed to, with the result that the entirechute 6 moves in a circle and on a plane substantially constant with the plane of the fly wheel. Thus the material is not only moved down the inclined sieve but also caused to repeatedly scatter over the sieve with the result that the flour is effectively I tion as claimed hereinafter,

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

In a sifter, a chute having closed ends, means suspending said chute for gyrating movement and in a longitudinally inclined position, a feed spout arising from the higher end of the chute, a transverse partition arising from the bottom of the chute adjacent the lower end thereof part-way up the same and forming with said end a compartment, said partition having a lower discharge aperture therein, a sieve extending from the higher end of the chute to the top of the partition and inclined from said higher end to said partition, a pair of laterally spaced discharge spouts in the bottom of said compartvment, and a transversely inclined partition in said. compartment forming a pocket therein into which said discharge aperture opens and which parting from the spirit and scope of the inven- JOHN W. BENEDICT. v 

